


Make it Official, Uncle Clover

by Renabe



Series: Renabe's Works for Fair Game Week 2020 [3]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Fair Game Week (RWBY), Family, Fluff, M/M, Shenanigans, Uncle Clover, fair game, fairgameweek2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:42:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23208688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Renabe/pseuds/Renabe
Summary: Clover learns what it really means to have a gaggle of nieces and nephews. It means war. Where the weapons are soft and fluffy.
Relationships: Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi
Series: Renabe's Works for Fair Game Week 2020 [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1666021
Comments: 34
Kudos: 136





	Make it Official, Uncle Clover

**Author's Note:**

> FairGameWeek Day 3: Family

Late afternoon light filtered through the windows of the academy dining hall where Clover sat alone at one of the many tables, enjoying a hot cup of tea to unwind from the day's work. He sipped it idly, wondering how he might spend his evening to himself, given that a certain bird had expressed a need to stretch his wings for a few hours.

His thoughts were interrupted by approaching footsteps, and he looked up to see one of Qrow's nieces.

“Hey there, Uncle Clover. Do you mind if I call you Uncle Clover,” Yang spoke, wide grin set in place as she took a seat across from the man. Off on the other side of the room stood the rest of team RWBY, plus team JNRO, eagerly watching the interaction unfold.

Clover blinked in surprise, eyebrows leaping upward at the new title. “I’m not sure I qualify,” he replied with a light laugh.

The blonde made a show of rolling her eyes before placing her metal arm on the table and leaning in close. “You’re dating my uncle, the only way you could be more qualified would be to marry the man.”

Clover choked on his tea. He managed to keep himself from spewing it across the table at the young lady, but it took a few seconds longer than it should have to swallow around the new lump in his throat. He coughed into one hand while the other pounded his chest as he tried to remember how to breathe.

The group on the other side of the room was a mix of hushed snickering and secondhand embarrassment. They were too loud for Clover to not have noticed them, but they still tried to avoid completely interrupting. Ruby and Nora were holding each other’s mouths shut, giggles shaking their shoulders uncontrollably. Weiss had to look away lest she meet the same fate, unable to keep her composure. Blake’s eyes danced with amusement, despite her disapproving frown. Jaune’s poor face couldn’t decide whether he should laugh or cry, and red danced along his cheeks at the strain. Ren brought a hand to his face, looking exasperated to any who did not peer close enough to see the faint color that tinged his skin. Oscar coughed quietly into a closed fist, wanting to laugh but feeling bad for Clover all the same.

Once air returned to his lungs, Clover gave a quick nod, conceding defeat. If his face was flushed, it could easily be blamed on the hot tea. 

“Good to know we’re on the same page now," Yang continued with a serious expression. "So anyway, _Uncle Clover_ , seeing as you have at least eight unofficial nieces and nephews, we need to know. When will it be official?"

"Excuse me?" Clover felt warmth creeping up his collar, certain the insinuation referred to the young woman's earlier remark about marrying Qrow. He tried to play it cool, not wanting to look like a dork in front of this self-proclaimed niece of his. And didn't that sound so nice, having a niece, multiple nieces? And nephews, according to Yang.

"If you're our uncle, you need to start acting like it."

Huh, that was not where he thought the conversation was heading at all. Not that he wasn't grateful, surely this topic was much easier to navigate. "Okay, how might I accomplish that?"

Yang's eyes held a teasing glint as she stood. "Rec room, 8 o'clock. Don't be late." She started to walk away, but paused to add, "Don't bring anyone else. This is a family only affair." With a wave of her hand, she moved to join the other kids and did her best not to lose herself to the restrained laughter from each of them.

Oh, they would have a surprise waiting for him then.

\---

Clover walked down the hall with careful steps, apprehension tensing his shoulders as he drew closer to the recreational room. He would never admit it aloud, but dread crept up on him the closer he got. That look Yang had in her eyes was dangerous. Maybe he was walking into a shovel talk, his mind supplied. Although, she could have done that earlier if she wanted- the kids had caught him alone, perfect opportunity, albeit a bit open should anyone walk by.

He reached the door to the rec room, pausing as he gripped the handle. It was oddly quiet, considering he was anticipating there being eight teenagers inside. He carefully turned the handle, opening the door just a bit to notice that no light filtered out. It was dark inside. Clover knew if he walked through that door he was going to be ambushed in some way. But _Uncle Clover_ was a title that really grew on him over the past couple hours, and he figured he didn’t have a choice but to accept whatever the kids threw his way if he wanted to keep it.

The elite huntsman took a deep breath, steeling himself before throwing open the door and stepping inside. “Hello?” he called into the darkness, not really expecting any kind of normal response.

Without warning, he was shoved to the side and the door slammed shut. Light blinded him as the switch was flicked and a voice, Nora’s, called out, “Get him!”

White, fluffy blobs were flying at him from every direction, and he put up his hands in defense. What in the world, he thought, before getting smacked square in the face with a pillow. Oh, that’s what was happening. His eyes finally adjusted to the bright lights, and he reached down to scoop up a fallen pillow in each hand, pivoting and swinging them around himself to deflect more projectiles.

All of the kids wore standard Atlas sweats and armed themselves with academy issued pillows. Some of them looked to be less willing participants, though, so he would avoid hitting them if it meant fewer assailants.

Clover noticed, then, that there were actually nine kids surrounding him, as Penny seemed to have joined their ranks. That brought a smile to his face, despite the underlying worry of how hard she could hit. He knew she and the others were close, and he was glad to see her included as family. He didn’t have time to dwell on that, though, as the projectiles kept coming.

“New strategy!” Ruby yelled, leaping forward from behind a card table to take a swing with a larger pillow. She hit Clover in the ribs, and he laughed as he registered the light tap, then gave her a bop on the head with two pillows.

“I don’t suppose there’s a rule where if I land a hit, you stay down- Oof!”

Yang wailed him with a hit to the side of the head. “I have avenged my fallen sister!”

Ruby threw her pillow at Yang, protesting, “I’m not out of the fight yet!” A pillow from Blake’s direction knocked Ruby off her feet, the faunus giggling quietly in success.

What had started as a group fight against Clover quickly devolved into a free for all. Nora took on anyone in her vicinity, which more often than not was Jaune, who immensely regretted his choice to join in on the whole prank meant for the Ace Op. Oscar laughed on the sidelines, leaning over the back of a sofa, until he received a hit from Weiss, who honestly intended to hit Yang and missed. Penny was launching pillows like crazy, so no one could even get close enough to land a hit on her. Meanwhile Ren tried so very hard to be invisible, to not get drawn into the mayhem, but before long he got roped into the play by Jaune looking for defensive support.

Pillows flew every which way, and Clover had to wonder if the teams raided the entire dorm to collect so many. Given the ammo supply, he held his own pretty well once he was no longer the sole target. And he laughed along with the kids as the war waged on. Was this what it felt like to have a big family, he wondered. It was _fun_.

Ruby dove behind one of the couches, pretending to hide, while she pulled out her scroll to sneakily send a quick message. Once successful, she leapt up and let out a triumphant whoop, only to catch a pillow to the stomach with a throw from Ren. “Oh my gosh, I knew you were having fun too!” She gave two thumbs up and prepared to enter the fight anew.

Suddenly all eyes were on Clover again, and he had to wonder exactly what signal had been given for that. He tried his best to fend them off, but in the end, he found himself on the floor, covered in a mountain of pillows. He considered surrendering at that point, but he wanted to get in one more hit before he resigned himself to defeat. He took aim at Yang, who stood proudly in front of the door, that is, until it opened, she stepped aside, and Clover’s pillow made a direct hit with Qrow’s face.

Huh. Go figure.

Qrow stood still in the now silent room, taking in the sight before him. Kids and pillows littered the floor, with the biggest kid of all at the center, still very much covered in the white fluffy cushions and wearing a particularly sheepish grin. Qrow shook his head, thinking he should have known something was fishy about Ruby’s distress call. 

Ever so slowly leaning down to pick up the pillow that had fallen from his face, red eyes held contact with teal. He stood tall once more, gaze unwavering, and he swiftly chucked the pillow at Ruby, knocking her over the arm of the couch to land with her back on the cushions. She cackled, not feeling guilty at all about what she’d done.

“That’s for the false alarm.”

Qrow strode up to Clover’s seated form, kicking up another pillow for himself that he used to flatten the poof of hair on the brunette’s head. “That’s for getting annihilated by a group of teens with pillows, and for hitting me.”

Clover couldn’t help the full bodied laugh that erupted from some warm place in his chest. “In my defense, they are quite formidable.” He peeked up at Qrow with childlike mirth, and the huntsman smiled softly in return, before smooshing the pillow into Clover’s face.

The kids were definitely snickering at him, Clover mused. Maybe he could make them laugh at Qrow too. He reached out and grabbed Qrow’s knee, tugging him forward and into the pile of pillows with a startled yelp. The kids _roared_. Ah, success.

“Oh, it’s on,” the huntsman declared, starting a new round to the fight.

\---

In the end, there were nine teens and two adults sprawled on the floor, tired but smiling.

Qrow propped himself up on his elbows, leaning over to nudge Clover's shoulder with his own.

"So how'd you get roped into this, lucky charm?"

"Initiation requirement."

"For what?"

"For him to become Uncle Clover!” Penny declared excitedly.

Qrow raised an eyebrow at that, turning from a grinning Clover to send a questioning glance to the redhead.

Weiss chimed in, "Don't look so surprised. You've long since become everyone's uncle, we figured you needed a little help."

"Weiss, we did this because we really like Clover," Ruby protested. "Anyway, thanks for humoring us, Uncle Clover!"

"Sorry for ganging up on you like that, Uncle Clover," Blake offered.

Clover smiled warmly at them, "No apologies needed. That was a lot of fun."

Yang stood and stretched, yawning before adding, “You’re a pretty good sport, _Uncle_ Clover.” Her added emphasis on the title made Qrow look up at her expectantly. She didn’t elaborate.

Slowly all the others got to their feet to head to bed, each wishing goodnight to their uncles, titles included. It was sweet and heartwarming, and Clover was grinning from ear to ear.

Stopping at the door, Yang glanced over her shoulder at her two uncles and said, "Make sure to let us know when it's _official_." She winked and followed the rest of her family into the hall as they burst into laughter.

Qrow looked at Clover's suddenly red face, eyelids lowering as he asked, " _Official_ , huh?"

Clover hit him with a pillow.


End file.
